Dressing For The Christmas Party

Christmas comes but once a year, and with it the socially complex office party. You don’t want to be the bore in the corner talking quarterly financial reports, nor remembered as the member of staff who drank a little too much and broke the photocopier.

At least you needn’t be worrying when it comes to fashion. Follow these simple tips and you’ll soon be enjoying a glass of eggnog without concern for the colour of your shoes!

Think smart, but understated

Although you’re at a more relaxed social engagement, you’re still attending a work function. Whether you work in management or administration, IT or HR, remember you’re doing yourself a bigger favour by wearing a simple, clean outfit than reaching for the torn denim, plimsolls and keyboard ties. However, that being said…

Don’t out-dress the boss

This can be a tricky situation, especially if you work for a ‘wacky jokester’ who enjoys dressing up as Santa for the employees. Essentially, you want to draw less attention than the guy in charge, so think about that purple, fur-lined smoking jacket for another occasion.

Plan Ahead

You know, in your heart of hearts, no matter how carefully you plan your day, there’s always going to be some unexpected event that’ll make you late. Therefore, you should definitely pre-prepare what you’re going to wear to avoid a last minute panic just before the party.

If in doubt, ask around the office about the event to get some idea of the dress code; this way, you can plan accordingly.

Casual Smasual!

Even if you work for a casual business, it’s still customary to dress things up a little. Don’t worry, that doesn’t involve a first-time dash to the tailors: a simple dress shirt instead of your t-shirt or a pair of chinos instead of your torn jeans will do wonders.

Don’t overexpose yourself

You’re not auditioning for the Chippendales, so don’t unfasten more than two buttons on your shirt. Similarly, don’t go for an overly fitted shirt or sweater that shows off your pecks, and never ever resort to tacky, borderline-lecherous ‘comedy’ garments. You’ll be getting all the attention for all the wrong reasons!

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